From Me to You
by hishoku
Summary: It's Tauriel's birthday! What does Kili have planned? One-shot! Reviews are always welcome!


The past few days had been awfully dull without her favourite dwarf around to keep her company. He had been tied up with his royal duties for awhile now, constantly helping his uncle and brother run the newly restored kingdom with all the state affairs. She had to admit though, him being a Prince had its perks. She got to see the serious side of him, which was pretty charming to her, knowing that there was more to him than just a reckless goofball. And as much as she missed him, it was nice to see him working hard. A few instances of eye contact and the occasional glances were all they saw now of each other on a daily basis, and Tauriel couldn't help but feel slightly bitter about it.

* * *

Sighting a tall, slender figure with a red waterfall down her back, wandering around the caverns and hallways of Erebor was no longer an unusual sight for the dwarves living there. They were all aware of the love their younger Prince and the feisty ginger elleth shared, and how the current King under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield had granted her asylum in their kingdom on the account that his nephew owed her his life. And of course since the Elvenking had banished her from Mirkwood, she provided him with an opportunity to taunt King Thranduil with the fact that one of his people had sought refuge with dwarves-a race he so despised. Although she was not too eager to anger her former liege, Tauriel didn't want to pass up the chance to accept the invitation Thorin Oakenshield had so graciously extended to her, allowing her full access to her beloved dark-haired archer anytime. It took awhile to get used to-living in a mountain but all was good and she felt happy in her new home. Glancing up at the almost-full moon in the midnight sky, she sighed contently and silently wondered if her already blissful life could get any better.

* * *

Meanwhile, at another side of the mountain, a lone figure crouches over the ground, shovelling away.

"Brother, what are you doing in the ungodly hours of the morning? Some people need their sleep! In case you haven't noticed, the noise here can travel a long way through these stone walls to the quarters of many dwarves. Uncle sent me here to find out just what all this ruckus is about." an exasperated voice called out.

Turning to face his older brother, Kíli flashed him an apologetic grin, his hand still holding a shovel while his other arm wiped away the sweat covering his face. Covered from head to toe in dirt, hair matted and arms full of cuts and bruises, the younger prince looked like he had been slaving away in the field for hours.

"It's Tauriel's birthday in a few hours, I just wanted to finish her present on time." Kíli explained, sheepishly rubbing his neck, "I wouldn't have done it at this time but I've just been so busy recently, I didn't have a choice. Sorry for waking you."

Realising it was for the Lady Tauriel, he smiled softly at his brother. "Well...", the older prince started slowly, "Don't stay up _too_ late, although it is already late enough but get some sleep. And I'd better not be hearing any more noise coming from here after tomorrow, you hear that?" he warned, wagging a finger at his brother. The dark-haired prince's face lit up, "Thanks Fee! I promise it'll only be for tonight. No noise will ever reach the walls of anyone's quarters again!"

"That's a relief." said the golden-haired prince, smiling softly as he quietly left his sibling to his own devices.

The young dwarf prince continued to work on the surprise he had planned for months for his beloved elf as the darkness of the night slowly faded with the coming of day.

* * *

The auburn haired elf woke to the feeling of warm rays of sunlight gently caressing her cheek. Rubbing her eyes absently as she sat up, she sighed a little disappointedly after a quick look around the room. No sign of her dwarf anywhere. He had not returned last night. Again. Shaking her head and smiling wryly, Tauriel tried to rid herself of the negative emotions threatening to surface. No, she understood. He had duties to fulfil and she had expected such a time to come. It was what that came with being a Prince. She accepted this fact the moment she agreed to Thorin Oakenshield's proposal where she would be granted residence in Erebor as Kíli's consort. Getting out of bed, she made to grab her usual outfit only to find it had been replaced by a beautiful silk gown of midnight blue with tiny gems embroidered onto it in intricate patterns. A note was left along with it, revealing the gown to be a gift from the Lady Dís for Tauriel's birthday. She smiled happily, being reminded of how much their relationship had improved from before.

 _"That's right, it's my birthday isn't it? I'll be 602 years old this year..."_

Running her fingers gently across the smooth silky fabric, she trailed the beautiful designs of curly vines, leaves and flowers embroidered onto the navy blue gown in gold thread, with the occasional colour of the tiny jewels sewed on. She held the dress close to her as she admired it in the mirror, picturing how she would look in it. As she slipped on the silky gown, the soft blue material cascaded down her body like a waterfall, accentuating her lithe figure. Taking a small spin in it, the gown twirled about her legs, rippling like flowing water. It really was a beautiful gift, she would have to thank Lady Dís for it.

As soon as she exited her quarters, she was whisked away by some dwarrowdams for the party King Thorin had thrown in celebration of her birthday, no thanks to Lady Dís' insistence upon holding a party for her future daughter-in-law. In honour of her birthday, he had declared that the whole kingdom would be given the day off to join in the celebrations and festivities that were planned. The whole day was packed full of activities and the whole kingdom was buzzing with excitement as the party lasted the whole day. Everyone ate and drank and danced to their heart's content, and Tauriel danced at least once with all the dwarves that had been in Thorin's Company. But of course, each of them too, were preoccupied making use of the day off to spend some quality time with their significant other.

Never thinking it possible for her to feel that exhausted from partying, the former Captain of the Guard finally took a break from all that was going on around her. Quietly slipping away to a quieter part of the mountain, she could still faintly hear the joyful cheers and lively music playing from the main hall where everyone was now dancing. This was the first time since the reclaim of Erebor that such a huge celebration had been thrown and she felt honoured and deeply touched that this was all done for her, an elf, someone who didn't even belong among them. Smiling at how their treatment of her had been the complete opposite of what she was taught about them back in Mirkwood, a feeling of warmth enveloped her, knowing she was accepted wholeheartedly by Kíli's people. _Kíli_ _...I haven't seen him the whole day...where could he be?_

* * *

Returning back to her quarters to change out of the gown, she put on something lighter and less...flowy. Night had fallen and the stars had already made their appearance and yet, her dark-haired prince was still nowhere to be seen. Sighing dejectedly, she reasoned internally that he probably had something more important to do today. Well, if her favourite person wasn't going to be around to spend the last hours of her birthday with her, she might as well spend it with the next best thing.

It was a clear and cloudless night, perfect for stargazing. Stepping out on to the balcony of her room, she look up to the stars, still secretly wishing she could've been with Kíli instead of the twinkling gems hanging high up above her. They seemed to possess a condescending air that night as they looked down upon her in all their brilliance, as if mocking her that Kíli would rather do other things than spend her birthday together with her. Feeling provoked by her own negative inner thoughts, she cursed them for being so high up and vowed to reach a height where their roles would be reversed, where she would look down the stars which were ever so high.

Living in her mountain did not mean she lost her agility and nimbleness as she scaled the peak of the mountain with ease, starting her ascend from her balcony. Standing at the top, she yelled in frustration at the way she felt even after all that everyone had done for her. She had fun and enjoyed the festivities, and yet that wasn't enough for her. Guilty that no matter what they did, she would not feel truly happy without Kili to be with her, she yelled again. No one would take notice of her for the party continued into the ungodly hours of the night. Releasing her pent up frustrations, the elleth took some time to compose herself. Deciding that since she would not be returning to the party, she might as well take a longer route back to her quarters- she did still have some time before her birthday ended. Heading off in the direction opposite to where she came from, she cautiously made her descend -after all, being nimble didn't mean you couldn't slip and fall off.

As she got closer to solid ground again, she spotted a familiar figure scurrying around a balcony identical to hers, only (if her memory served her well) this one wasn't connected to any room. It was a more obscure part of the mountain to most dwarves. She had been there a few times before, when she was still new and settling in to her new home. It was by pure chance that she found this place while she was exploring the mountain, determined to know the whole layout like the back of her hand. After all, no matter how everywhere looked almost the same here with their dark dank walls, she _had_ managed to memorise the whole maze-like layout of the Woodland Realm's dungeons in her days as Captain, this would prove no challenge. She and Kíli used to go there for some privacy during the time when the dwarves from Ered Luin began resettling in Erebor, since Kíli had to be around to help his brother and uncle and they couldn't leave to get some time alone. It had been their rendezvous for the occasional kiss, a short chat together, exchanging sweet nothings-but was forgotten once the resettlement was completed and they could go out to the woods or visit the restored Dale together. She hadn't remembered this place again-till now.

* * *

Landing quietly on her feet, she was surprised to see it did not look quite as it was in her memories. Nearly every inch of the balcony was covered in a variety flora and fauna, save for a stone path-just wide enough for two to walk side by side. Gasping as she surveyed the beautiful mini forest she seemed to have stepped into, the other figure nearby jolted upright, hearing the sound of another being there. Turning towards the source of the gasp he'd heard, his jaw dropped as he spotted his elven love just a few feet from where he stood. Freezing in his position, not daring to move a muscle, he realised she had not yet spotted him, and made to quietly, soundlessly slip away to the side. Slowly sliding his feet, he made a beeline for the nearest bush that would hide him while Tauriel was still entranced by the beauty of his handiwork. Switching his line of sight between Tauriel and the bush, he failed to notice that his ginger-head had already picked up on his movements. Shrouding herself in the shadows when his eyes were on the ground, she stealthily crept behind the bush she knew he was going to and lay in wait of him.

Ambushing him had been hilarious when she saw the shock on his face as he yelled and tumbled backwards onto the ground. Laughing whole-heartedly till she had to wipe away the tears forming in her eyes felt refreshing after all that gloominess earlier. "I'll forgive just this once for missing my birthday on account that I got a good laugh out of you," she said in between laughs, "but you still owe me a present. Now, what is this all about that I had to miss seeing you all day?" she asked, gesturing to the transformed balcony. Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he averted his eyes from her gaze, he replied in a small voice, "Umm...well, it's-it's your present." He flashed her an awkward grin. She stood there, a little taken aback by his answer. "Oh..." she said lamely. "Do you...like it?" he asks hesitantly. She smiles fondly at him, "Of course I do Kili." and bends down to press a kiss to his forehead. "It's beautiful, thank you for the gift melleth nîn." She says, her voice thick with emotion. "Although, I would have been content just to spend the whole day with you, you know. But now that I know why you were gone the whole day, you are pardoned," she says in her best mockery of the princess she would have to be. "Ah, but that's not all love, you see, this isn't a typical garden, it has exactly 602 flowers in here, it's the same as-", "My age," she cuts him off.

"I got the idea from a tradition of Men. Sigrid once mentioned how Men would give their beloved, bouquets of flowers with the exact number of flowers corresponding with their age that year. Since a bouquet wouldn't fit 602 flowers, I had no other way but turn it into a small garden," he explains. "I didn't choose the flowers carelessly though, I had some help from Bilbo. All flowers have meanings as I've learnt from him. He helped me pick flowers that would convey what I wanted to tell to you."

"Oh?," she cocks her eyebrow at him, "And what do you want to tell me?," She asks, her lips curled in a small smile.

Leading her over to a patch of tall red blooms, he said, "These are called red salvia, what they say is _"forever mine"._ The blue ones next to them are the blue salvia, they say _"I think of you."_ Holding her wrist, he shows her to the another pot of buds. "These are violets, they represent my devotion, loyalty and faithfulness to you," he says, smiling up at her. " _He really had gone out of his way with my present,"_ the red-head thought silently, touched by the clear effort he spent on creating something so detailed single-handedly.

Continuing to another corner of the garden that was dominated by roses of warm-toned hues, Kíli made to explain what each colour meant. Plucking a thornless lavender one, he twirled it between his thumb and index finger. "This," he says, taking in its scent, "represents love at first sight. For you took my breath away in that moment I laid eyes on you in Mirkwood. It is the colour of enchantment, the spell you seemed to have put on me." Walking behind her, he carefully braided the purple bloom into her hair. When that was done, he continued to explain each and every other colour, "Red is love,beauty and respect. It reminded me of your hair. White is purity and youthfulness, yes I know, pretty ironic somewhat. Dark pink for perfect happiness, light pink for admiration and sweetness, orange for desire and yellow for joy and remembrance." He finished on a slightly sad note before he could stop himself and prayed she didn't catch it. She didn't.

After the rest of the tour where the meanings of all the flowers had been accounted for, he led her to the center, to a small patch of tiny bluish-hued, five-petaled flowers. He didn't have to tell her what they meant for it was in their name itself. Forget-me-not.

The sight of those flowers struck her hard and a weight seemed to settle in her stomach. The blue and yellow buds served as a painful reminder that even after he had passed on, she would be left behind for many years to come. She alone would be left with the memory of him, of the memories they once shared. An icy dread clawed at her heart at the thought of reverting to a solitary life once more for she could no longer picture a life without him. What was the purpose of living if he was not by her side to share in it with her? Kíli seemed to guess her thoughts as her face took on a stoic mask. "I know it's cruel to be asking this of you but don't forget me ever. Even when I'm gone. I want always to exist as a beautiful memory in your mind, everything we've ever shared together, never forget them. I'll never truly be gone if you remember me." He smiled gently at her. Her heart ached at the thought of a time where there would be no Kíli, and she could not meet his gaze. Silently, he dropped her hands and walked away.

* * *

The sound of the fiddle and singing made the elleth snap out of her negative thoughts as she looked towards the source of the music.

 **"Lost inside your eyes,**

 **As brilliant as the stars,**

 **Show me every side,**

 **The good, the bad, the better**

 **The road is wild,**

 **We're holding on for life,**

 **Like a child,**

 **Who's not afraid to cry,**

 **We're escaping to a place they'll never know**

 **Just you and me love,**

 **We are almost home.**

The notes danced lightly along with the gentle breeze, calming Tauriel. The sound of his voice soothed her even more and her previous woes were forgotten for a moment, a content smile upon her face. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, the cold night air filling her lungs.

 _That's right. There's no point worrying about the future. If I keep doing that, I'll lose sight of the present, what I have now. And what I have now is most important. Tomorrow can worry for itself. We must make the most out of the time given to us for that is the most precious gift. The present._

 **"Promise you I'll be,**

 **The promise you can keep**

 **Till the end of time,**

 **And on the other side...**

 **The road is wild,**

 **We're holding on for life,**

 **Like a child,**

 **who's not afraid to cry,**

 **We're escaping to a place they'll never know,**

 **Just you and me love,**

 **Just you and me love,**

 **Just you and me love,**

 **We are almost home."**

As the last note on the fiddle faded away, Tauriel opened her eyes to peek at her dear prince. No words were needed to make known that she understood what he was trying to convey to her. Smiles were exchanged between the pair as the dark haired prince sat beside her and took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers, holding each other's hand tight.


End file.
